Using different cutting tools or other cutting tools on a lathe, various rotating surfaces can be machined, such as internal and external cylindrical surfaces, internal and external conical surfaces, threads, grooves, end faces, and shaped surfaces. Lathes also allow for drilling, reaming, tapping, and other machining operations using drills, reamers, taps, dies, and knurling tools. Machining accuracy can reach IT8-IT7, with a surface roughness Ra value of 1.6-0.8. Turning is commonly used to machine parts with a single axis, such as straight shafts and general disc and sleeve parts. By changing the workpiece's mounting position or appropriately modifying the lathe, multi-axis parts (such as crankshafts, eccentric wheels, etc.) or disc cams can also be machined.
In single-piece and small-batch production, various shafts, discs, sleeves, and other parts are mostly machined on versatile horizontal lathes or CNC lathes (CNC lathes can be classified into vertical and horizontal types; vertical CNC lathes are used for turning disc-shaped parts with large turning diameters, while horizontal CNC lathes are used for turning disc-shaped parts with long axial dimensions or small disc-shaped parts, and can be further divided into economic CNC lathes, ordinary CNC lathes, and turning machining centers). Large parts with large diameters and short lengths (length-to-diameter ratio 0.3–0.8) are mostly machined on vertical lathes. For batch production of medium and small shafts and sleeves with complex shapes, internal holes, and threads, turret lathes should be used. For large-volume production of small parts with relatively simple shapes, such as screws, nuts, pipe fittings, and bushings, semi-automatic and automatic lathes are often used. These lathes have high productivity but lower precision.